MANILA (UPDATE) - Thrift bookstore Booksale on Tuesday said some of its branches are closing.

Booksale posted a statement on its official Facebook page on Tuesday that the company is entering a "new chapter"  but will continue to find new ways to make reading more affordable and accessible.

"We have so many exciting plans ahead, and we can't wait to share them with you," said Booksale CEO Josh Sison in the statement.

Fans of Booksale flooded the post with comments about how the thrift bookstore had helped them discover some of their favorite books at a fraction of the cost of a brand-new title. They also worried about the possible closure of their favorite branches or the bookstore chain itself.

But in a later post published at 7:46 p.m., Booksale clarified that it is not closing down. It also published an updated list of its branches that remain open. The updated list names 14 branches in Metro Manila, 9 in Southern Luzon, 7 in Northern Luzon, and 11 in Visayas and Mindanao for a total of 41 stores. 

On its website, Booksale meanwhile said it has 91 branches across the country, but it named only 57-- of which 16 are in Metro Manila, 14 in Luzon, 18 in the Visayas and 9 in Mindanao.

During the pandemic lockdowns, Booksale moved some of its operations online. It posted its available items on its Facebook page, including prices and contact details of store coordinators for specific branches.

It also opened a store on Shopee. The online store also carries the titles from its brick-and-mortar outlets, with everything from novels, self-help books, comic books and magazines such as National Geographic listed for a fraction of their original prices.